Prefabricated building components, now widely utilized in the construction industry, are typically assembled at a manufacturing facility and then transported to the job site for incorporation into a building structure. Prefabricated trusses for use as roof or floor supports are assembled from pre-cut wooden chord and web members positioned in abutting relationship and connected together using toothed fastener plates.
Truss assembly devices have been developed for performing this task semi-automatically. The pre-cut wooden members are positioned manually over a support surface and clamped in place, after which connector plates are laid over the abutting joints. The connector plates are then embedded into the members with a gantry or other press to secure the joints on one side. The semi-complete truss is then turned over and similarly secured at the joints on the opposite side.
Various arrangements or truss tables in gantry presses have been employed in the truss assembly devices of the prior art. The prior truss assembly devices, however, have several shortcomings. The clamping methods utilized by the prior machines have been found inadequate in terms of adjustability, positive actuation and the like. In addition, the prior machines have been relatively slow in operation because movement of the trusses on the table during fabrication has been done primarily manually.
There exists a need for a new and improved truss assembly apparatus.